Parallel comparatives

Parallel comparatives

1. Parallel comparatives

2. The…the… with comparative adjectives This structure is used to show proportionate increase or decrease.

3. Parallel comparatives describe a cause-and-effect process. The more education women get, the later they marry. The better the quality of health care (is), the higher the life expectancy (is).  

4. Note the word order in both clauses:  the + comparative expression + subject + verb The more I s ee him,  the more  I like him. (NOT The more I see him I like him more)

5. Examples The faster we finish, the sooner we’ll get home. The older  we grow,  the wiser  we become. The higher  you climb,  the colder  it gets. The lighter the box,  the easier  it is to carry.

6. More   can be used with a noun in this structure. The more money  he makes,  the more useless things  he buy. The more garbage you dump, the more pollution you create.

7. More examples The more sport you practice, the fitter you get. The more you eat, the fatter you get. The more I study, the better marks I’ll get in the exam. The longer I wait, the more impatient I get. The more I drink, the less self-control I have. The less I sleep, the more tired I am the following day. The more work I have, the longer I have to work. The more it rains, the better crops get.

8. The more dangerous things are, the more I like it. The older Mark gets, the more he looks like his grandfather. The more I get to know him, the more I like him. The longer she waited, the more impatient she got. The older a chicken is, the tougher it’s meat. The more careful a student is, the fewer mistakes he makes. The more ripened plums are, the sweeter they taste. The stronger the coffee, the better it tastes.